Well, I'm not much of cook. Actually, that statement exaggerates the true nature of my culinary skills. However, I would like to apply as a taster at the chili contest. I've been involved in a couple of hot-food-eating contests here in Bangkok, and up in Vientiane, Laos. Chili was always sort of a central ingredient in the cuisine. I can't even say if I can differentiate good chili dishes from great, but I have always felt that a dish that didn't kill me couldn't be all bad. BTW, the connoisseurs who entered these contests could only ‘drop out’ respectably if their heart stopped momentarily, or longer, after hitting the floor or the dirt.